Which alcohol would undergo acid-catalyzed dehydration most rapidly?
A)3,3-dimethyl-1-butanol
B)2,2-dimethyl-1-butanol
C)3,3-dimethyl-2-butanol
D)2-methyl-2-butanol
E)All would undergo dehydration equally rapidly.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The tertiary alcohol 2-methyl-2-butanol (D) would undergo acid-catalyzed dehydration most rapidly due to its high degree of branching, which stabilizes the resulting carbocation intermediate. The other alcohols have either a secondary alcohol (A and C) or a primary alcohol (B), which are less reactive towards dehydration due to their relatively larger size and lower degree of branching. Therefore, D would react the fastest among the given options.

Which Alcohol Would Undergo Acid-Catalyzed Dehydration Most Rapidly